Water-powered vehicle demonstrated in Pakistan

STEPHEN VAGUS

AUGUST 13, 2012

Engineer shows off his latest creation in Islamabad

The world of transportation is experiencing a paradigm shift. While focus remains heavily on fossil-fuel, alternatives are beginning to garner more attention. This is largely due to rising oil prices, the potential scarcity of oil, and the growing political tensions surrounding this particular fuel. Hydrogen has emerged as one of the most promising forms of fuel for the future auto industry, but other sources of power are also growing in prominence. Pakistani engineer Waqar Ahmad has successfully shown that oil and hydrogen are not the only sources of power for vehicles; Ahmad has created a water-powered vehicle.

Water-powered vehicle draws the attention of Pakistan’s parliament

Late last week, members of the Pakistani parliament, along with several scientists and students, bore witness to a demonstration of Ahmad’s water-powered vehicle in Islamabad. The vehicle was fueled with one liter of water, which Ahmad claims is enough to send the care a distance of 40 kilometers. The engineer notes that if his technology was installed in a motorcycle or a scooter, it would go as far as 150 kilometers on one liter of water. The water-powered vehicle is part of the engineer’s “Water Fuel Kit Project,” which is based on hydrogen bonding with distilled water.

Technology produces hydrogen from water

While the vehicle is acclaimed as the first functioning water-powered vehicle in the world, it is actually powered by hydrogen. Ahmad’s technology creates hydrogen gas from water in a similar process that is common in most modern fuel cell systems. The hydrogen is then converted into electricity, which provides power to the vehicle’s engine. The vehicle is not equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell, however, as Ahmad notes that it does not need one to operate.

Vehicle’s use of water may keep it away from widespread adoption

Though the water-powered vehicle is a triumph of engineering, its viability has been questioned. Critics suggest that the vehicles reliance on water could keep it well beyond the realm of commercialization. Water is one of the world’s most precious and increasingly scarce resources. Commercialization of a vehicle that, essentially, runs on water could lead to serious problems for the world’s water supply, problems that could be felt most acutely in arid environments, such as much of the Middle East.